news

Are your money habits normal? See how you compare with the most common transactions on Cash App

Viewapart | Istock | Getty Images

Are your money habits normal? See how you compare with the most common transactions on Cash App

On peer-to-peer payment app Cash App, "food" is the No. 1 word most frequently used in transactions, according to the company's recent trend report. That's probably not surprising to anyone who's debated how to split the bill after a group dinner and landed on one person picking up the tab, while everyone else pays them back.

"Gas" and "love" followed food as the most popular words used in Cash App transactions. Other popular mentions include "love," "rent" and "birthday."

One thing these words have in common: they seem to imply a social connections, such as friends and family sending each other money for dining out, travel or to celebrate special occasions.

"This data really revolves around how people are spending their free time and how they are engaging with other people, culturally speaking," Cash App financial therapist Lindsay Bryan-Podvin tells CNBC Make It.

Trends like these may also help individuals feel aligned with their peers when it comes to spending habits, Bryan-Podvin says.

"So many of my clients have a version of the question, 'Am I normal? Are other people doing this?'" she says. "When it comes to how much people have, or how much they lend, or what they're spending money on, this snapshot gives us a really nice way to say, 'Yes, in fact, you're normal.'"

Here are some of the other spending trends Cash App identified and what they can tell us about our collective money habits.

'I want to take care of myself, and I won't be ashamed of it'

Gen Z and millennial Cash App users, those between the ages of 18 and 44, are broadly moving money on the app to pay for leisure activities and self care, the data finds.

"Mentions like 'sweet little treats,' 'pickleball' [and] 'mocktails' all signaled to me that these generations are really saying, 'I want to take care of myself, and I also won't be ashamed of it,'" Bryan-Podvin says.

Seeing these trends may help people feel normal when it comes to their own spending habits. But they could also reflect a culture of people being pressured to spend on fun things. 

Discretionary spending is fine and important in moderation. But if you are spending money just to try to keep up with trends or do what your friends are doing at the expense of your financial wellbeing, it may be a good idea to check in with your money goals and priorities, Bryan-Podvin says. 

"I always think that it matters coming back to your own personal values and what matters to you," she says.

If spending on concerts or clothes is important to your identity and self-expression, that's OK. But that might mean skipping other things, depending on your budget.

"When we really think about what trends you want to participate in, [make] sure that those are the things that are aligned with your values," Bryan-Podvin says.

Want to earn more money at work? Take CNBC's new online course How to Negotiate a Higher Salary. Expert instructors will teach you the skills you need to get a bigger paycheck, including how to prepare and build your confidence, what to do and say, and how to craft a counteroffer. Pre-register now and use coupon code EARLYBIRD for an introductory discount of 50% off through Nov. 26, 2024.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.

Copyright CNBC
Exit mobile version